Tuesday, May 14, 2013

May 14 - Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World


Hello. Here is today's movie. I hope you enjoy it and watch it tonight. 


MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

In 1805, The HMS Surprise under the command of Captain Jack Aubery is ordered to pursue the French privateer the Acheron and sink or capture her. The ship however is surprised by the Acheron in the fog and the Surprise’s cannonballs bounce off the Acheron’s hull. Surprise’s rudder is shot off and it is only by using rowboats to pull the ship into an impenetrable fog bank that the ship escapes. They lay low repairing the ship and tending the wounded. The captain and his friend Dr. Maturin relax by playing music together. On May 14, 1805 a crewman who happened to see the Acheron being built in Boston gets a friend to build a model of the ship which they give to the Captain. [28:05 to 30:00] The Captain dines with his officers. For a second time they are spotted by the Acheron. They stay ahead of it during the day and at night using a raft with lamps as a decoy, slip away. The Surprise is now chasing the Acheron, but loses her in a terrible storm.  Aubrey heads to the Galapagos islands where Dr. Maturin engages in some scientific investigation of the islands unique flora and fauna. They find the crew of a British whaler sunk by the Acheron. An officer suicides and Dr. Maturin is accidentally shot. Aubrey abandons pursuit of the Acheron to take Maturin back to dry land in the Galapagos where Maturin operates on himself using a mirror. While looking for more specimens Maturin discovers the Acheron is very close. Taking an idea from one of the insect specimens Maurin has collected, Aubrey disguises the ship as a whaler to lure the Acheron in close.  The ruse works. Acheron’s mainmast is shot away and boarding parties capture the French ship. As the Acheron sails away with a prize crew Aubrey learns that the man he thought was the Acheron’s surgeon was actually its captain. He orders a pursuit. 

A very exciting combat film. It explores an era of history that has received little attention from filmmakers.  Very good action sequences as well as character development, which only rarely both occur in the same film.
  
Date given in the film via Aubrey’s letter to his wife at 28:09

Producer -  Alan B. Curtiss

Director - Peter Weir

Screenplay – Peter Weir and John Collee

Awards – The film won the Best Cinematography and Best Sound Editing Oscars. It was also nominated for the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Mixing, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Visual effects and the Best Makeup Oscars.

Released – November 14, 2003

Runtime -  2 hours 18 minutes

Starring –

Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey
Paul Bettany as Dr. Stephen Maturin
James D'Arcy as First Lieutenant /Acting Captain Thomas Pullings
Edward Woodall as Second Lieutenant William Mowett
Chris Larkin as Captain Howard, Royal Marines
Max Pirkis  as Midshipman Lord William Blakeney  
Jack Randall as Midshipman Boyle
Max Benitz as Midshipman / Acting Third Lieutenant Peter Myles Calamy
Lee Ingleby as Midshipman Hollom
Richard Pates as Midshipman Williamson
Robert Pugh as Sailing master John Allen
Richard McCabe as Mr. Higgins, Surgeon's Mate
Ian Mercer as Mr. Hollar, Boatswain
Tony Dolan as Mr. Lamb, Carpenter
David Threlfall as Preserved Killick, Captain's Steward
Billy Boyd as Awkward Davies, Captain's Coxswain
Bryan Dick as Joseph Nagle, Carpenter's Mate
Joseph Morgan as William Warley, Captain of Mizzentop
George Innes as Joe Plaice, Able Seaman
William Mannering as Michael Doudle, Able Seaman
Patrick Gallagher as Awkward Davies, Able Seaman
Alex Palmer as Nehemiah Slade, Able Seaman
Mark Lewis Jones as Mr. Hogg, Whaler
John dDeSantis as Padeen Colman, Loblolly boy
Ousmane Thiam as Black Bill, Steward's Mate
Konstantine Kurelias as Young Sponge
Thierry Segall as  Captain of the Acheron
Aidan Black as Private Trollope



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